Wide Span Shelving for Heavy & Bulky Loads
E-Series wide span shelving carries the highest weight capacity in the Metalware line. A fully open frame, accessible from every side, with steel, wire-mesh or wood shelves — built to store heavy, bulky and oversized items and to grow in height and width as you do.
Request a Free Quote Call 905-730-9212- Highest capacity in the line
- 12-ga posts, 13-ga beams
- Steel / wire-mesh / wood shelves
- Open on all sides
The heavy hitter for high-volume, high-SKU storage
Wide span shelving bridges the gap between standard industrial shelving and pallet racking. Long 13-gauge beams span between 12-gauge posts to create wide, fully open shelf levels you can load and pick from any side — ideal for cartons, totes, cases and oddly shaped items that don’t suit a pallet position or a narrow shelf.
It’s a cost-effective way to add capacity: expand units in height and width as inventory grows, and use them as the base for multi-level storage platforms. High-volume, high-SKU operations — eCommerce, retail and clothing, records storage, automotive parts — run wide span for fast carton and case picking.
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What you get from wide span shelving
Highest capacity
The strongest shelving system in the Metalware line, engineered for heavy, bulky and oversized loads.
Open on all sides
A fully open frame means operators load and pick from any direction — faster handling for cartons and cases.
Three shelf options
Choose steel, wire-mesh or wood decking to match your loads, sprinkler requirements and visibility needs.
Tie-bar strength
Tie bars stop long beams buckling and raise the rated capacity of each shelf level.
Expand any time
Add height and width as inventory grows, and use the frame as a base for multi-level platforms.
High ROI
A cost-effective path to more capacity that drives storage upward instead of out across the floor.
How a wide span unit is built
- Posts — 12-gauge roll-formed with 2″ slots for easy height adjustment
- Frame connectors — tie posts front to back into rigid frames
- Foot plates — anchor each unit to the floor
- Beams — 2″ profile, 13-gauge steel, in a range of widths and capacities
- Tie bars — stop long-beam buckling and add shelf-level capacity
- Shelves — steel, wire mesh, or 5/8″ industrial-grade wood
Specifications
| Posts | 12-gauge roll-formed, 2″ adjustment slots |
|---|---|
| Beams | 2″ profile, 13-gauge steel |
| Shelf options | Steel, wire mesh, or wood (min 5/8″ particle wood) |
| Depths available | 12, 15, 16, 18, 24, 30, 32, 36, 42 & 48″ |
| Capacity | Highest in the Metalware line; set by beam width & tie-bar count |
Capacity per pair of beams
Rated load per pair of beams. TB = tie bars. Triangular tie bars apply to 84″ and 96″ beams only.
| Beam width | Tie bars | Capacity (lb) |
|---|---|---|
| 36″ | 1 TB | 1,500 |
| 42″ | 1 TB | 1,350 |
| 48″ | 1 TB | 1,100 |
| 48″ | 2 TB | 1,300 |
| 60″ | 2 TB | 970 |
| 66″ | 2 TB | 840 |
| 72″ | 2 TB | 770 |
| 84″ | 2 TB | 850 |
| 96″ | 2 TB | 765 |
| 96″ | 3 TB | 950 |
Who runs wide span shelving
Wide span is the answer when loads are too heavy or bulky for standard shelving but don’t need a full pallet position: eCommerce and 3PL fulfilment, retail and clothing distribution, records and archive storage, automotive and equipment parts, and any high-SKU carton or case-picking operation. Pair it with multi-level platforms to multiply floor space.
Part of the Metalware shelving family
Wide span is the heavy-duty option. For no-bolt parts shelving and for small-parts organization, see:
Interlok Boltless Shelving
The no-bolt workhorse — welded box shelves and T-posts that assemble without tools and rearrange without dismantling, in open or closed units.
View boltless shelving →Integrated Modular Drawers
Welded 18-gauge drawers, up to 450 lb each, that drop into wide span and Interlok units to organize small parts within the same footprint.
View integrated drawers →Supply and installation, handled end to end
Consultation
We assess your space, materials and throughput goals.
Design & quote
Engineered drawings and a firm quote to fit your budget.
Installation
Professional install across the GTA and Ontario-wide, to code.
Support
Reconfigurations, add-ons, inspections and parts as needs change.
Wide span shelving FAQ
- What is wide span shelving?
- It’s a heavy-duty shelving system that spans long 13-gauge beams between 12-gauge posts to create wide, fully open shelf levels. It sits between standard shelving and pallet racking, ideal for heavy, bulky or oversized items picked by hand.
- How much weight can wide span hold?
- It carries the highest capacity in the Metalware line. Rated load depends on beam width and tie-bar count — for example a 36″ beam pair with one tie bar is rated 1,500 lb, while a 96″ pair with three tie bars is rated 950 lb. We spec each level to your loads.
- What shelf surfaces are available?
- Steel, wire mesh, or wood (a minimum 5/8″ industrial-grade particle board). The choice depends on load, sprinkler requirements and how much you need to see through the shelf.
- What’s the difference between wide span and pallet racking?
- Pallet racking is built for forklift-loaded pallets. Wide span is built for hand loading and picking of cartons, cases and bulky items — open on all sides, with closer-spaced, adjustable shelf levels.
- Can wide span be expanded later?
- Yes. Add height and width as inventory grows, and use the frame as the base for multi-level storage platforms.
- Do you install in the Toronto area?
- Yes — Indoff Canada supplies and installs across the Greater Toronto Area and Ontario-wide, to code.
Request a quote
Tell us your loads, dimensions and shelf preference and we’ll spec the right wide span unit — usually within one business day.
Request My Quote Call 905-730-9212Serving the Greater Toronto Area & beyond
- Toronto
- Mississauga
- Brampton
- Vaughan
- Oakville
- Hamilton
- Burlington
- Kitchener
- Guelph
- Barrie
- Ottawa